Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

"Things got messy. There was… an unexpected variable," Sabretooth muttered grimly as he approached an old man seated within the dim facility.

The man looked lean, even fragile at a glance, but his presence was overpowering—commanding. Though time had aged him, the cold glint in his eyes hadn't faded. He was no ordinary elder.

He was Erik Lehnsherr. Magneto.

A name whispered with either reverence or fear across the mutant world.

"Messy?" Magneto raised an eyebrow. With a flick of his fingers, a nearby metal stool glided across the room and stopped before him. He sat calmly, eyes narrowing. "Was it Charles's people?"

Sabretooth shook his head. "No… not them. It was some young guy. Soon as he showed up, I blacked out—my body just… stopped responding. I couldn't move. Couldn't think."

Magneto's eyes sharpened. "A young man? Let me ask you—did he have mismatched eyes?"

Sabretooth grunted, jaw tightening. "Yeah. Different colors. That's him."

"I knew it," Magneto muttered. "Kurogai. He's returned."

At the mention of the name, the air in the room seemed to drop in temperature.

A sharp voice cut in from the shadows. "That guy? You're telling me a kid took you out?"

The comment came from Toad, lounging nearby with his long tongue coiled lazily. Among the Brotherhood, Toad respected only one person—Magneto. Everyone else was just target practice.

Magneto turned to him with a grave expression. "Toad, you'd do well not to underestimate him. Kurogai isn't just powerful… he's unpredictable. Dangerous beyond comprehension."

Toad frowned but fell silent under Magneto's stern gaze.

Years ago, Kurogai had attacked the X-Mansion singlehandedly. Despite Charles Xavier's formidable telepathy and the mansion's elite defenses, the school had nearly fallen. Xavier himself had been defeated.

And that was when Kurogai was still young.

Now, after years of silence, he was back—and no one knew how far his power had evolved.

Magneto exhaled slowly. "He's no longer a child. Whatever plan we had—double it in caution."

He turned his head slightly. "Mystique."

From the shadows, a tall, shapely figure stepped forward. Her skin was a smooth, shifting blue, her eyes gleaming with cunning.

"Time to move," Magneto said.

Mystique nodded once before disappearing into the shadows without a word.

---

X-Mansion, Professor X's Office

"'Maintain world peace,' huh?" Charles scoffed under his breath, long after Kurogai had left the room. "If that boy's the one keeping peace, it's a miracle we still have a planet."

Despite the sarcasm, his thoughts lingered on Kurogai's words. They were too vague, too evasive. The Professor hated being kept in the dark—especially by someone as volatile as Kurogai.

Of course, Kurogai had anticipated that reaction. That was why he left without letting Charles get in a word. He had something else on his mind.

He needed to find Rogue.

---

Kurogai moved casually through the mansion's corridors, his presence drawing only mild glances. It had been six years. His face had matured, his posture had changed, and his aura had grown colder, more refined. To the new students, he was just another stranger. To the few who did recognize him… they wisely stayed out of his path.

Eventually, he reached Rogue's room and knocked once before stepping inside.

"Rogue," he said calmly, "have you thought about your answer?"

The girl turned from the window. She looked startled at first, then smiled softly. But that smile quickly faded, replaced by uncertainty.

"You're here," she said, her voice low.

Kurogai raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound too happy about it."

She bit her lip, hesitant. "Are you… and that teacher… still close?"

He blinked. "Jean?"

Rogue nodded.

Kurogai's face twitched, amused. He hadn't expected that. Her tone, the hesitation—it all made sense now.

He gave a small laugh. "Why do you ask? Could it be... you're jealous?"

Rogue's cheeks flushed. She turned away. "No. I just—Storm told me about the two of you. And I just… I didn't know what to think."

It was clear she was conflicted. In her eyes, Kurogai wasn't just a powerful mutant—he was the first person who could touch her skin without fear. He was her first link to this new, chaotic world of mutants.

But now she didn't know if she had the right to feel that way.

Kurogai walked to her slowly. "Rogue, I don't care what Storm said. Or anyone else."

She looked up, eyes meeting his.

"I'm here. With you. Right now," he said quietly. "That's what matters."

Rogue's heart thudded in her chest.

And for a brief moment, the silence between them said more than words ever could.

---

I'll be editing the awkward, cringey, and unrealistic parts of the romance. My goal is to make it feel more natural. Chapters might end up shorter, but don't worry, I'll just be swapping out the clunky lines for smoother, better phrasing.

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Looks like no bonus chapters again today, enjoy the 2 daily ones instead!